Rotary railroad car dumper



p 27, 1966 RQH. SABIN ETAL 3,275,169

ROTARY RAILROAD CAR BUMPER Original Filed March 4, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. RAYMOND A. SAB/N BY 22mm) E. CHEER Sept. 27, 1966 R. H. SABIN ETAL 3,275,169

ROTARY RAILROAD CAR DUMPER Original Filed March 4, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ff i 5 i INVENTORS E4m 10NDA. $145M! BY [0924120 E 621551;

Sept. 27, 1966 R. H. SABIN ETAL ROTARY RAILROAD CAR DUMPER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed March 4, 1964 INVENTORS BAY/140M) H 45m BY [m /1,4205 [65K M M a/ United States Patent 3,275,169 ROTARY RAILROAD CAR BUMPER Raymond H. Sabin and Edward E. Cheek, Cleveland,

Ohio, assignors to McDowell-Wellman Engineering Company, a corporation of ()hio Continuation of application Ser. No. 349,306, Mar. 4, 1964. This application Oct. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 511,263

Claims. (Cl. 214-55) This application is a continuation of co-pending application Serial No. 349,306, filed March 4, 1964, now abandoned.

This invention relates to rotary railroad car dumpers and more particularly to an improvement in a rotary railroad car dumper.

The problem, to date, is finding a method of securing a railroad car within a rotary car dumper, which substantially eliminates any lateral movement of the car within the cradle.

In present day railroad car rotary dumpers having a trackway extending therethrough, the trackway is often affixed to a laterally moving platform or platen. The car or cars are uncoupled as they are brought into the dumper and clamped to the trackway and platen. As the dumper is rotated the car and the cradle move laterally to a point where the side wall of the car rests against and is supported by the side wall of the dumper. In this manner the car is held while rotated. When the dumper is uprighted the car and cradle move back to their original position within the dumper. It is desirable to eliminate lateral movement of such a mass of apparatus and material which is often accompanied by damage to the cars and the dumper.

A railroad car rotary coupler has been developed which permits cars to be rotated about their coupler axis. This speeds up the unloading operation because the cars need not be uncoupled; however, the old method of holding the car within the dumper is unsatisfactory. If the cars are to be rotated about their couplers they must be clamped to a fixed trackway extending through the dumper in such a way that there will be substantially no lateral movement of the car as it is rotated. This invention solves that problem by providing a movable side wall which is inwardly movably secured to a fixed side wall of the dumper. The car or cars are now brought into the dumper while coupled, and are clamped to the fixed trackway. The movable front wall is then moved against the side of the car over which the material cascades during unloading. This wall provides support for the car which would otherwise tend to derail it from a fixed track to rest against the front dumper side wall as it is rotated. In this manner the car is firmly secured within the dumper and troublesome deraihnent and equipment damage avoided.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, the following description and annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but a few of the various forms in which the principle of this invention may be employed.

In the annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial end view of a railroad car on a fixed trackway in a rotary car dumping cradle, showing a platen, or bridge which is affixed to the cradle and supports the 3,275,169 Patented Sept. 27, 1966 trackway. Also shown is the movable wall of the present invention which is inwardly extensible from a fixed side Wall. The arrow indicates the direction of rotation of the cradle.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, partially cut away plan View of the link arms and hydraulic moving and holding means as seen from the plane indicated by the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the movable wall structure shown in FIG. 2 as seen from the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of FIG. 2. This enlarged end view shows the movable wall, the fixed side wall, the linking arms and the hydraulic moving and holding means.

FIG. 4 is a top view of FIG. 3 as seen from the plane indicated by the line 44 of FIG. 3, showing the link arm connection between the movable wall and the fixed wall.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a portion of the movable and fixed walls, and the means used to clamp the railroad car to the track.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the portion of the movable and fixed walls seen in FIG. 5 and the means used to clamp the railroad car to the track.

Briefly stated, this invention is in a rotary railroad car dumper having a fixed later-ally immovable trackway extendiing through the dumper, means for clamping a railroad car on the trackway, a fixed side wall adjacent the railroad car side wall from which material in said car is dumped, and means for rotating the dumper. In accordance herewith, there is provided a movable wall in the dumper for engaging the side wall of the railroad car on the trackway, and supporting the car as it is rotated. Also provided are means for mounting the movable wall on said fixed wall of the dumper cradle, such that the movable wall moves parallel and arcuately, i.e. parallelogrammatically, towards and away from the railroad car side wall. Further, there is provided means for moving the wall into and out of engagement with the railroad car side wall, and holding the wall in supporting relation to the railroad car as the car is rotated.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6 of the annexed drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1 there is shown a railroad car generally indicated at 5 on a trackway comprising a pair of tracks 6 and 7, which are fastened to a bridge or platen generally indicated at 8. The platen 8 is formed from longitudinal side sections 9 and 11 and a top platen 12. These side sections 9 and 11 are firmly affixed to the floor of the cradle generally indicated at 13. The car 5 is firmly clamped on the trackway by any suitable clamping means, for example, the movable clamp means 4 of FIGS. 5 and 6. The back fixed wall of the cradle is generally indicated at 14, and the front fixed wall of the cradle, which is adjacent the side wall of the railroad car from which material is dumped, is generally indicated at 15. The fixed wall 15 acts as a support on which a movable wall generally indicated at 16, is pivotally mounted. The movable wall 16 may be a single wall, or a plurality of sections as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. A plurality of pairs of link means pivotally connect the movable wall 16 to the fixed side wall 15. Each pair of link means has an upper and lower link means generally indicated at 17 and 18 respectively. At least one hydraulically operated moving and holding means generally indicated at 19, is provided for rotating each pair of link means 17 and 18, and holding them in a plurality of fixed positions. The link means are provided to support the movable wall when it is engaged with the side wall of a railroad car, and supports the car as it is rotated by the dumper. The link means also provides a mounting for moving the movable wall 16 parallelogrammatically towards and away from the side wall of a railroad car on the trackway.

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 show in greater detail the link means 17 and 18, and the hydraulically operated moving and holding means 19. The lower link means 18 is composed of a pair of link arms 21 and 22, which are pivotally connected to a bracket 23 by a pin 24, which extends through each link arm and through the bracket 23. The bracket 23 is fastened to the side wall 15 by suitable fastening means, e.g. bolts or rivets 25. The other extremities of link arms 21 and 22, are pivotally connected to the movable Wall 16 by a similar pin 26. The upper link means 17 is similarly composed of a pair of link arms 26 and 27, which are pivotally connected to the stationary wall 15 and the movable wall 16 by a similar bracket 28 and pin 29, and a similar pin 31 respectively. Bracket 28 is fastened to the stationary wall 15 by similar fastening means, e.g. bolts or rivets 25. The link arms of the upper and lower link means are the same fixed length and are disposed in a similar direction. Thus, in any position the plane of the movable wall is substantially parallel to the plane of the fixed wall and railroad car side wall. The wall 16 also moves arcuately. Such combined parallel and arcuate movement is termed parallelogrammatic movement, i.e. the sides forming the parallelogram remain equal, but their angular disposition relative to each adjacent side, varies. It should be understood that any suitable linking means may be used to accomplish this purpose. It should also be understood that the link arms may be any desired length so that the movable wall 16 could be adapted to accommodate the side wall of a variety of railroad cars, including especially desired, or captive cars. It should be noted that the link means connects the fixed wall 15 and the movable wall 17 in such a way that when the movable wall 16 is in a fully retracted position as in FIG. 3, the link arms are angularly disposed to the stationary wall 15, extending therefrom in the direction of the trackway. In this position, the link arms are supporting the movable wall 17, and are in tension. It should be further noted that when the movable Wall 16 is in a fully extended position, as indicated by the broken line drawing of wall 16 in FIG. 3, the spill over edge 33 extends beyond the top marginal edge of a conventionally designed railroad car on the trackway. This surface provides an additional lipped edge which keeps the material which is being dumped, from spilling between the movable wall 16 and the stationary wall 15.

Intermediate link means 17 and 18, is a moving and holding means 19. Any suitable holding means, for example expanding toggle means, cam means, or rotary screw means may be used for moving and holding said movable wall. A gravity operated moving and holding means including gravity operated extensible link-age arms or cable and pulley means may also be used. However, in this embodiment of the invention, the moving and holding means 19 is hydraulically operated extensible linkage including a piston whose piston head 34 is, preferably, coincidentally, pivotally connected to the movable side wall 16 and the upper link arms 26 and 27 by a pin 31. The piston cylinder 35 is pivotally connected to a bracket 36 by a pin 37. Bracket 36 is fastened to the stationary wall 15 intermediate the upper and lower similar brackets 23 and 28 by similar fastening means, e.g. bolts or rivets 25. A force is exerted upon the wall 16 and link means by the hydraulically operated piston, to rotate the link means about its pivotal mountings sesured to the fixed dumper wall 15, thereby moving the wall 16 in a direction up and away from the stationary wall 15, or parall'elogrammatically towards and away from the railroad car side wall.

The mechanism used to pump fluid into the hydraulic cylinder 35 may in this embodiment of the invention, be a conventional hydraulic fluid pump controlled manually or automatically, for example, when the car 5 is in position in the dumping cradle it could trip levers, one of which would activate a pump forcing fluid into the cylinder 35, forcing the piston 34 to move the wall 16 into contact with the side wall of the car 5. The increased fluid pressure as the two walls come into contact, could then trip a sensing mechanism, which would automatically cut off the fluid and lock the piston. The hydraulic system and its controls may be of any suitable conventional design.

As previously indicated the movable wall 16 may be composed of a single wall section coextensive with the length of the cradle, or a plurality of sections as seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. In either case there should be provided suflicient pairs of upper and lower link means and sufficient moving and holding means to provide adequate support for a fully loaded railroad car. The movable side wall '16 is conventionally constructed of vertical and horizontal members, e.g. members 38 and 39 of FIG. 6, and can be braced with angular members (not shown). It is recommended that a solid plate be fastened to the upper wall face, for example plate 39 as seen in FIG. 6, to provide a solid spill over edge 33.

While the invention has been described with reference to a single movable side wall member, it will be understood that the opposite side wall might also be made movable, as in the case where a bilateral dumper rotatable in either direction is used. 'Such a structure may provide walls which are individually inward-1y movable, or move simultaneously to grip the car or cars therebetween.

This simple yet novel method of providing support for a railroad car when it is being rotated can be used in either rotary railroad car dumpers wherein the individual cars to be dumped are uncoupled, or in rotary railroad car dumpers wherein the cars have rotary couplers and do not have to be uncoupled.

Other modes of applying the principle of this invention may be employed instead of those specifically set forth above, changes being made as regards the details herein disclosed, provided the elements set north in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

It is, therefore, particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed as the invention.

We claim:

1. In a rotary railroad car dumper having a fixed dumper side wall, a trackway extending through the dumper and immovable relative to the fixed dumper side wall, means for clamping a railroad car on the trackway, and means for rotating the dumper, the improvement which comprises:

(a) a movable wall in the dumper for engaging an adjacent side wall of a railroad car positioned in the dumper to support the car as it is rotated;

(b) means for mounting the movable wall on said fixed dumper side Wall such that the wall moves parallelogram'matically towards and away from said railroad car side wall, said means including at least one pair of parallel spaced link arms mounted for rotating in planes normal to the longitudinal axis of the trackway, said link arms being rotatably mounted on said fixed dumper side wall in linear spaced relation from each other and the trackway when measured in a plane normal to the plane of the t rackway; and

(c) means couple-d with at least one of the' link arms for rotating the link arms and holding them in a plurality of positions, whereby the movable wall is p-arallelogramrnatically moved into and out of engagement with the railroad car side wall and held thereagainst in supporting relation to the car as it is rotated, the weight of said car and movable wall being transferred to said dumper through said link arm's.

2. The improvement of claim '1, wherein the link arms are so disposed that they support the movable wall when it is not in use and retracted adjacent said fixed dumper side wall, the link arms being in tension when supporting said movable wall.

3. The improvement of claim 2 wherein the link arm rotating and holding means includes, at least one hydraulically operated piston.

4. The improvement of claim 3, wherein the head of the hydraulic piston and one of the link arms are coincidentally, rotatably mounted on the movable wall, and the axis along which the piston moves is oppositely, angu'larly disposed to the longitudinal axis of the link arms.

5. The improvement of claim '4 wherein the piston reciprocates in a cylinder rotatably mounted on said fixed dumper side wall intermediate said link arms.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,082,888 3/1963 Eichler 21455 0 GERALD M. FORLE-NZA, Primary Examiner.

A. MAKAY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A ROTARY RAILROAD CAR DUMPER HAVING A FIXED DUMPER SIDE WALL, A TRACKWAY EXTENDING THROUGH THE DUMPER AND IMMOVABLE RELATIVE TO THE FIXED DUMPER SIDE WALL, MEANS FOR CLAMPING A RAILROAD CAR ON THE TRACKWAY, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING THE DUMPER, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A MOVABLE WALL IN THE DUMPER FOR ENGAGING AN ADJACENT SIDE WALL OF A RAILROAD CAR POSITIONED IN THE DUMPER TO SUPPORT THE CAR AS IT IS ROTATED; (B) MEANS FOR MOUNTING THE MOVABLE WALL ON SAID FIXED DUMPER SIDE WALL SUCH THAT THE WALL MOVES PARALLELOGRAMMATICALLY TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM SAID RAILROAD CAR SIDE WALL, SAID MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF PARALLEL SPACED LINK ARMS MOUNTED FOR ROTATING IN PLANES NORMAL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE TRACKWAY, SAID LINK ARMS BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FIXED DUMPER SIDE WALL IN LINEAR SPACED RELATION FROM EACH OTHER AND THE TRACKWAY WHEN MEASURED IN A PLANE NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF THE TRACKWAY; AND (C) MEANS COUPLED WITH AT LEAST ONE OF THE LINK ARMS FOR ROTATING THE LINK ARMS AND HOLDING THEM IN A PLURALITY OF POSITIONS, WHEREBY THE MOVABLE WALL IS PARALLELOGRAMATICALLY MOVED INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RAILROAD CAR SIDE AND OUT OF ENTHEREAGAINST IN SUPPORTING RELATION TO THE CAR AS IT IS ROTATED, THE WEIGHT OF SAID CAR AND MOVABLE WALL BEING TRANSFERRED TO SAID DUMPER THROUGH SAID LINK ARMS. 